A specially adapted Royal Air Force cargo plane picked up a British nurse who contracted the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) while treating patients in Sierra Leone today and brought him back to London for treatment.

Image/CIA
Image/CIA

29-year-old William Pooley is the country’s first victim to EVD. He was airlifted back to England after British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond authorized his repatriation for treatment. He is in isolation at the Royal Free Hospital in London. The Royal Free Hospital has Britain’s only high-level isolation unit for treatment of infectious diseases, as well as a team of specially trained staff.

Mr. Pooley was described as “not currently seriously unwell”. 

Concerning public safety, Professor John Watson, Deputy Chief Medical Officer with Public Health England said, “The overall risk to the public in the UK remains very low.

“We have robust, well-developed and well-tested NHS systems for managing unusual infectious diseases when they arise, supported by a wide range of experts.

“UK hospitals have a proven record of dealing with imported infectious diseases and this patient will be isolated and will receive the best care possible.”

The latest Situation report from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone says:

As of today, 24 August 2014, we have a total of 240 patients who have survived Ebola Virus Disease and subsequently discharged. The total number of new confirmed cases for today is 23: Kailahun 11, Kenema 5 and Port Loko 7.

The total number of cumulative confirmed deaths is 336 and cumulative number of confirmed cases is 904 with Kailahun 428, Kenema 308; Kono 1; Kambia 1; Bombali 17; Tonkolili 10; Port Loko 54; Pujehun 5; Bo 33; Moyamba 9; Bonthe 1; Western Area Urban 26; Western Area Rural 11. Koinadugu district still remains the only district that has not registered confirmed cases of Ebola in Sierra Leone.

55 samples are still pending in the laboratory, according to the Disease Prevention and Control.

Related story: Ebola confirmed by Democratic Republic of the Congo, ‘no link to West Africa outbreak’: Health Minister

The West Africa EVD outbreak totals show 2,615 cases and 1,427 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page